Kami Rita Urges Everest Climber Cap After 274 Reach 8,849-Meter Summit in One Day
Updated
Updated · PBS NewsHour · May 22
Kami Rita Urges Everest Climber Cap After 274 Reach 8,849-Meter Summit in One Day
11 articles · Updated · PBS NewsHour · May 22
Kami Rita Sherpa, back in Kathmandu after a record 32nd Everest ascent, called on Nepal to limit summit attempts because crowding has become more dangerous this season.
274 climbers reached the top from Nepal on Wednesday — the busiest single day this year — after China closed the Tibet route, pushing more traffic onto the southern side.
494 climbers have permits from Nepal, with roughly the same number of Sherpa guides, and the narrow weather windows force many into the same fixed-rope lines near the summit.
Those queues can turn into traffic jams that keep climbers exposed longer to extreme cold and thin air, raising safety risks on the 8,849-meter peak.
Kami Rita's warning came as rival Pasang Dawa Sherpa logged his 31st Everest ascent on Friday, underscoring how heavily foreign climbers rely on veteran Sherpa guides.
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